Tsereteli’s Monument to Victims of Purges Has Resulted From His Own Emotional Experience
In his almost 100m tall monument to victims of purges featuring a figure of Christ Zurab Tsereteli has put his own emotional experience, as the artist said in an interview with RIA News reporter.
“In my family, my grandfather has been repressed and murdered, so I know about purges and feelings of those who were subjects to repressions and members of their families from my own experience. Therefore, the monument contains my personal suffering”.
The 33m tall figure of Christ rests on a 60m high pedestal. The sculptor’s idea is that Christ takes under his protection all innocent victims of purges and repents their earthly sins.
“The surface of the base is likely to be engraved with victims’ names and the space inside is conceived to accommodate a memorial museum. The 33m tall statue symbolizes the years that Christ lived on Earth” – explained his vision Zurab Tsereteli.
The monument is planned to be located in Solovetsky islands. However, the sculptor refused to name the exact site, as the monument has not been completed yet and is a subject to finishing.
“Very soon the monument is going to be presented to the public” – promised Tsereteli. “I would like to hear what people think of my sculpture and maybe I will have to make some amendments”.
Last week, the sculptor showed his latest Gates of Fate monument commemorating wives of the Decembrists to the Decembrists’ descendents in Tsereteli Art Gallery.
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